Jacquard-pattern arrangement for circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for circular knitting machines, a pattern drum is provided for each knitting system of the circular knitting machine. This pattern drum supports on its periphery a plurality of rods which are disposed thereon in accordance with a preselected pattern. These rods act on the pattern feet of needle jacks disposed on the periphery of the cylinder of the circular knitting machine via a corresponding plurality of slidable actuating members, which are disposed in two rows and parallel with respect to each other. Each one of the slidable actuating members has a projection which is adapted to cooperate with a movable control member disposed between two adjacent rows of slidable actuating members. This movable control member coacts with cam means rotating jointly with the cylinder of the circular knitting machine and which is positioned in front of a second cam also rotating jointly with the cylinder of the circular knitting machine, said second cam controlling the movement of the pattern drum.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 11, 1969 Gemlany P 19 56 581.2

[52] US. Cl 66/50 B [51] Int. Cl D04b 15/74 [58} Field of Search...' 66/50 B, 42, 50 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,398 l/1942 Preston 66/50 R 2,460,487 2/1949 Briston 66/50 H 2,473,944 6/ 1949 Fregeolle 66/50 B X 2,808,712 10/1957 Morris 66/50 B 3,076,326 2/1963 Mazzi 66/50 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 809,157 2/1959 Great Britain 66/50 H D United States Patent [191 [111 3,739,601 Plath June 19, 1973 [5 JACQUARD-PATTERN ARRANGEMENT 1,582,723 10/1969 France 66/50 B FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES [75] Inventor: Ernst-Dieter Plath, Primary Examiner-Wm: Cartel Reynolds T flfi /w tt Germany Att0rneyArthur O. Klein [73] Assignee: Mayer & Cie, Tailfingen/Wuertt,

Germany [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Nov. 9, 1970 In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for circular knitting [211 App No 949 machines, a pattern drum is provided for each knitting system of the circular knitting machine. This pattern drum supports on its periphery a plurality of rods which are disposed thereon in accordance with a preselected pattern. These rods act on the pattern feet of needle jacks disposed on the periphery of the cylinder of the circular knitting machine via a corresponding plurality of slidable actuating members, which are disposed in two rows and parallel with respect to each other. Each one of the slidable actuating members has a projection which is adapted to cooperate with a movable control member disposed between two adjacent rows of slidable actuating members. This movable control member coacts with cam means rotating jointly with the cylinder of the circular knitting machine and which is positioned in front of a second cam also rotating jointly with the cylinder of the circular knitting machine, said second cam controlling the movement of the pattern drum.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures A ENTED 3.739.601

SHEU 3 0f 3 INVENTOR.

By: Ernsl Dieter 1 1% TH All arr/n JACQUARD-PATTERN ARRANGEMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to Jacquard-pattern arrangements for circular knitting machines having a pattern drum per knitting system, said pattern drum carrying a plurality of rods on its periphery in accordance with a preselected pattern. The position of the pattern drum is shifted by a cam rotating jointly with the needle cylinder. The rods disposed on the periphery of the pattern drum coact with actuating members which act on the pattern feet of needle jacks.

In the known Jacquard-pattern arrangements of the aforedescribed type, the actuating members are provided with bearing surfaces having relatively small inclination on which the rods of the pattern drum act as the latter is shifted in position and the actuating members are thus displaced. The bearing surfaces of the actuating members can only have a relatively small inclination because otherwise the rods, when bearing against these surfaces, would cause jamming or breaking or require very large switching forces when displacing the actuating members. The bearing surfaces having relatively small inclinations require, of course, rela' tively broad actuating members and consequently the distance on the periphery of the pattern drum between the rods must also be relatively large. A rod on the pattern drum, which follows in the direction of switching of the pattern drum a preceding rod, must not contact the actuating member even when the latter, due to a malfunctioning of the preceding rod, bears directly against the periphery of thepattern drum at the instant at which the actuating switching position of the pattern drum should place it in a forward position. This drawback is quite significant. Thus, the number of rows of rods on the periphery of the pattern drum are arranged in an axial direction and therefore determine the periphery of the pattern drum as well as the maximum height of a pattern relation in the knitted material. It is, therefore, desirable to arrange on the periphery of the pattern drum as large a number of rows of rods as possible.

It is also not desirable to enlarge the number of rows of rods on the periphery of a pattern drum by merely increasing the diameter of the drum. This is so because the overriding desideratum in circular knitting machines remains to form the cams of the individual knitting systems as short as possible so that the number of the knitting systems and the appurtenant pattern arrangements around the periphery of the circular knitting machine can be increased. It is particularly disadvantageous to have a large distance between the rows of rods on the pattern drum in those known types of Jacquard-pattern arrangements where there are provided two pattem-selecting stations per knitting system, such as, for example, in a Links/Links circular knitting machine or in an arrangement for the predetermined selection of the needles for a catch or knitting position. In these known types of .lacq'uard-pattem arrangements, the increase of the selecting positions can only be accomplished at the expense of undesirably shortening the possible pattern relation height of the knitted material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide means in each knitting system of the circular knitting machine which act on all! actuating members for the needle jacks during each switching step of the pattern drum in the sense of removing the actuating members from the periphery of the pattern drum. Thus, in accordance with the invention, there are provided additional cam means which rotate jointly with the needle cylinder and which act separately from the known cam means which serve to switch. the position of the pattern drum in accordance with the movement of the needle cylinder. These additional cam means coact with a control member that is slidably mounted in the stationary part of the circular knitting machine at each knitting system and coacts with alll actuating members at each knitting system. These additional cam means are positioned along the periphery of the circular knitting machine in advance of the second cam which actuates the pattern drum at each knitting system.

Thus, with the Jacquard-pattem arrangement of the invention, a pattern drum having relatively denselyarranged rods can be used because the actuating members no longer require bearing surfaces. These actuating members are, after a switching movement of the pattern drum, returned in a radial direction towards the pattern drum and thus bear in a radial direction against the rods or the periphery of the pattern drum. The advantages resulting from such an arrangement are quite significant. Thus, for example, with: the arrangement of the invention, it is possible to dispose a predetermined number of rows of rods on a pattern drum having a substantially smaller diameter than a pattern drum in accordance with the arrangements of the prior art having the same predetermined number of rows of rods. Consequently, there is provided not only a significant savings in material, but also a significant savings in space along the periphery of the circular knitting machine. The arrangement of the invention is particularly suitable for those types of Jacquard-pattern arrangements which utilize two pattern-selection stations per knitting system. In such an arrangement, the required double number of rows of rods can be obtained without increasing the diameter of the pattern drum thereby avoiding a reduction of the maximum pattern relation.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control member for the simultaneous adjusting of the actuating members of a knitting system is radially movable and coacts with a bar having inclined bearing surfaces which coact with inclined bearing surfaces on the control member. The cam means for actuating the control member comprise two cams, one of which is, with re spect to the rotary movement of the circular knitting machine, placed in front of the cam controlling the switching movement of the pattern drum and the other one behind the latter cam. The aforementioned two cams coact with pushrods slidably disposed in the stationary portion of the circular knitting machine which, in turn, actuate a two-armed lever. A bar is slidably disposed and operatively connected to this two-armed lever. This bar has inclined bearing surfaces which coact with inclined bearing surfaces of the controlmember and are adapted to radially displace this control member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic cross-sectional elevational view along line I-I of FIG. 2, said line extending in a radial direction with respect to the needle cylinder of the circular knitting machine thereby illustrating a pattern arrangement and parts cooperating therewith disposed adjacent thereto and adjacent to the needle cylinder and the supporting ring of the cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the pattern arrangement of the invention along line IIIl of FIG. 1, however, at a different scale than what is illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III-*III of FIG. 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION There is illustrated in FIG. 1 the usual needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine which is mounted on the rotating support ring 11 for the cylinder 10. Surrounding the cylinder 10 there is disposed a stationary cam supporting cylinder 12. There is furthermore visible in FIG. 1 a needle jack which serves to transport the cylinder needles to and from an operative position. This needle jack 14 has an upper leg 141 and a lower leg 142 as well as an intermediate pattern foot 143. The pattern feet of successive needle jacks are disposed in a known manner. Thus, the needle cylinder 10 is provided with needle jacks of different types which differentiate each other with the positions of their respective pattern feet 143. One of the knitting needles 15 of the circular knitting machine is visible in the upper portion of FIG. 1 over its needle jack 14.

The parallel arrangement also includes a pattern drum 16 of a known type which supports a plurality of rods 17. This pattern drum has disposed on its periphery a plurality of rows of holes in which there can be inserted the pattern rod 17 according to a predetermined pattern. The pattern drum 16 is provided with a coaxially mounted gear wheel 18 and is stepwise moved by means of an unillustrated switching pawl which is pivotally mounted on a swinging lever 19 actuated by means of a stepping cam 20 which is adjustably mounted on the cylinder support ring 11 and is actuated by it so as to effect a one or two-step switching movement. The basic construction and operation for moving the pattern drum by means of a switching mechanism actuated by the cylinder support ring is known per se.

As can be noted from FIG. 2, the pattern drum 16 is provided, in contradistinction to the pattern drums of the prior art, with rows of holes adapted to receive the switching rods 17 in a considerably denser relationship with respect to each other. The pattern arrangement of the instant invention is of the type wherein the same pattern drum controls two selecting positions offset with respect to each other in the direction of movement of the cylinder of the circular knitting machine. Accordingly, there are provided two groups of actuating members 21 and 22 each group fonning a row of such actuating members. The actuating members 21 and 22 are slidably movably mounted in a radial direction with respect to the needle cylinder. Each one of the actuating members 21 is connected to a spring 23 which urges the actuating member 21 towards the periphery of the pattern drum 16. The actuating members 22 are provided with similar springs 24 urging them towards the periphery of the pattern drum cylinder 16. These actuating members 21, 22 are provided at the end facing the needle cylinder with inclined cam surfaces 211 and 221 for acting on the pattern feet 153 of the needle jacks 14. However, the actuating members 21 and 22 have at the ends facing the pattern drum 16, in contradistinction to the heretofore known actuating members, no cam surfaces for coacting with the rod 17 of the pattern drum 16. As can be noted, the actuating members 21 and 22 have respectively contacting feet 212 or 222, by means of which the actuating members bear against the outer ends of the rods or, in the event no rods are provided, bear against the peripheral surface of the pattern drum at the switching position. Furthermore, the actuating members 21 and 22 are provided at the inner sides facing each other with lateral projections 213 or 223. A push bar 25 is disposed between the two rows of actuating members 21 and 22 and the lateral projections 213 or 223 coact with the back surface 251 of this push bar 25.

As can be noted from FIG. 1, the push bar 25 is radially movable with respect to the needle cylinder. This push bar 25 has near both of its ends lateral projections having inclined outwardly extending surfaces 252 and vertical surfaces 253. A switching bar 26 is movably mounted immediately adjacent to the push bar 25 in substantial parallel relationship thereto. The switching bar 26 has a pair of inclined outwardly extending surfaces 261 which substantially correspond and are adapted to matingly engage the inclined surfaces 252 of the push bar 25. A two-armed lever 28 is pivotally mounted about a shaft 27 and is operatively connected to the bar 26 with one of its arms. The upper end of the switching bar 26 is pivotally connected to a lever 33, which serves to move the push bar 25 into an inactive position by lifting the lever 33 when an exchange of pattern drums is to be effected manually.

There are provided for each knitting system in the stationary portion of the circular knitting machine immediately underneath the two-armed lever 28 a pair of pushrods 29 and 30 which are slidable in a stationary supporting member illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. These pushrods 29 and 30 are offset with respect to the axis of the needle cylinder so that they are always positioned under one of the two arms of the two-armed lever 28. The lower ends of the pushrods 29 and 30 respectively extend into the rotary path of actuating cams 31 and 32. These actuating cams rotate jointly with the cylinder support ring 11. The first actuating cam 31 and the second actuating cam 32 are mounted near the switching cam 20 for the pattern drum 16. More specifically with respect to the rotary movement of the needle cylinder, the actuating cam 31 is mounted in front of the switching cam 20 and the actuating cam 32 is mounted behind the switching cam 20. The offset arrangement of the two actuating earns 31 and 32 is best viewed in FIG. 3.

At every rotation of the machine, the actuating members 21, 22 are thrust by the push bar 25 and switching bar 26 toward the needle cylinder and thus against the pattern feet of the pattern jacks which are passing by. A rotating movement of the pattern drum is only achieved when the push rod or switching bar 26 is shifted upwardly. The lifting of the push rod 26 is effected by the actuating earns 31, 32 which rotate with the needle cylinder.

This switching point is situated at a certain and predetermined point at the circumference of the machine. In the area of the two switching cams 31, 32 no pattern is being knitted. At the switching point, needle jacks can be employed, or the needle jack channels can remain empty. It proves to be efficient if at this switching point there are employed needle jacks without pattern feet. At the switching point some needles are always knitting stitches, and thus a firm edge of the goods is available after the cutting of the goods such as holes. The actuating members 21, 22 remain for only short time between the two switching earns 31 and 32, and so such intermediate position of the members 21, 22 is of no importance.

The Jacquard-pattern arrangement in accordance with the invention operates as follows:

As the needle cylinder and its support ring 11 rotate, there arrives at each knitting system, first of all, the actuating cam 31 at the pushrod 29 and lifts the latter. The pushrod 29 is thus brought to bear against the arm of the two-armed lever 28 which is operatively connected by means of a pin and slot connection to the switching bar 26. The two-armed lever is therefore pivoted in a clockwise direction and causes the switching bar 26 to slidably move upwardly. The inclined surfaces 261 of the switching bar 26 slide past the similarly inclined surfaces of the push bar 25 thereby moving the latter in a radial direction towards the needle cylinder 10. The two-armed lever 28 is adapted to move the switching bar 26 upwardly to a point where the inclined surfaces 261 have completely slid over the inclined surfaces 252 of the push bar 25 so that the vertical surfaces of the switching bar 26 now bear against the vertical surfaces 253 of the push bar 25. The switching bar 26 is thus frictionally maintained in this upper position due to the frictional engagement of the vertical surfaces of the bars 25 and 26 and due to the pressure exerted on the push bar 25 by the actuating members 21, 22 through corresponding springs 23, 24.

The push bar 25 has a back surface 251 which engages the lateral projections 213, 223 of the actuating members 21, 22. Thus, the radial movement of the push bar 25 is transferred via these lateral projections 213, 223 to all of the actuating members 21, 23, which are thus lifted off the pattern drum 16 and out of the path of the rods 17. This occurs before the switching cam 20 actuates the switching wheel 18 to shift the pattern drum 16 one or two steps, that is, one or two rows of rods.

After the aforedescribed switching of the pattern drum 16 has been completed, the actuating cam 32 acts on the pushrod 30 and lifts it. The pushrod 30 then bears against the second arm of the two-armed lever 28 and causes it to move in a counterclockwise direction back to its original position. This return movement of the two-armed lever 28 causes the switching bar 26, connected to the other arm of the lever 28 by means of a pin and slot connection, to return to the position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 1. The push bar 25 is thus again released and, due to the forces exerted by the return springs 23 and 24, returns jointly with the actuating members 21 and 22 to the position illustrated in FIG. 2. The contact feet 212 and 222 of the actuating members 21 and 22 thus move radially towards the new switching positions of the pattern drum and bear against the peripheral surfaces thereof or the rods 17 of these new-switching positions. In the event there is located at the new switching position a rod 17, as is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 2 on the right switching position for the actuating member 21, then the latter contacts after a short return movement the rod 17 and remains in an advanced position, so that its needleactuating end having the inclined cam surface 211 remains in the rotary path of the pattern feet 143 of the needle jacks 14. In the event there is no rod present at the new switching position on the pattern drum, as is, for example, shown in the left switching position of FIG.2, then the corresponding actuating member 22 is, due to the force exerted on it by the return spring 24, returned until it contacts the outer periphery of the pattern drum 16, so that the needle-actuating end having the inclined cam surface 221 does not longer extend into the rotary path of the pattern feet 153 of the needle jacks 14.

The switching cam 20 is, as is usual in this type of cir cular knitting machine, embodied as a stepped cam and can be adjusted in an axial direction by an unillustrated arrangement, so that there are available three switching possibilities for the pattern drum 16 which are as follows:

a. No switching in position of the drum takes place;

b. A one-step simple switching of the drum is effected; or

c. A double switch step of the drum is effected.

Thus, it can be noted that with a pattern arrangement in accordance with this invention, there are lifted off the pattern drum all actuating members before a switching in position of the drum occurs and after this switching in position of the drum has been completed the actuating members are again returned into contact with the periphery of the pattern drum. The return movement of the actuating members depends on the presence or absence of rods disposed on the periphery of the pattern drum in its new switching position. Thus, if there are rods present, the actuating members will return only to such an extent to remain within the rotary path of the pattern feet of the needle jacks whereas if there are no rods on the pattern drum, their return movement will take them out of this rotary path of the pattern feet of the needle jacks.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to one preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it. is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferred embodiment, but

is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for a circular knitting machine having one pattern drum per knitting system, said pattern drum being actuated in a stepwise manner by cam means mounted on the rotating needle cylinder of the circular knitting machine, the improvement comprising in combination, a plurality of rods removably mounted on said pattern drum, a plurality of actuating members juxtaposed with respect to each other disposed between said pattern drum and said needle cylinder and adopted to be actuated by said rods on said pattern drum to move into an operating position with respect to said needle cylinder, slidable bar means operatively mounted between said] pattern drum and said needle cylinder and adapted to engage said plurality of juxtaposed actuating members and to move them out of engagement with said pattern; drum and said rods mounted thereon, first cam means mounted on said needle cylinder and adapted to coact with said slidable bar means so as to cause the latter to disengage such actuating members from said pattern drum and said rods, said first cam means on said needle cylinder comprising a first cam which is mounted in front of said cam means for actuating in a stepwise manner the pattern drum with respect to the rotary movement of said needle cylinder, said slide slidable bar means being slidably mounted in a stationary portion of the circular knitting machine, said slidable bar means being radially movable with respect to said needle cylinder in said stationary portion of said circular knitting machine, said slidable bar means being provided with inclined bearing surfaces, and a bar movably mounted in said stationary portion of said circular knitting machine in parallel relationship to said bar means and having parallel inclined bearing surfaces which are adapted to radially move said slidable bar means when said bar is actuated by said first cam means.

2. In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for a circular knitting machine, the improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first cam means includes a second cam, said second cam being disposed behind said cam means for actuating said pattern drum in a stepwise manner with respect to the rotary movement of said needle cylinder, a pair of pushrods slidably mounted in the stationary portion of said circular knitting machine and adapted to coact with said first and second cams, a twoarmed lever pivotally mounted in the stationary portion of said circular knitting machine and operatively connected to said bar, said two-armed lever being adapted to be selectively engaged by said pushrods when the latter are being selectively engaged by said first and second cams, thereby, in turn, engaging and pivoting said two-armed lever and moving said bar with respect to said bar means.

3. In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for a circular knitting machine, the improvement as set forth in claim 2, wherein each one of said plurality of juxtaposed acrows of actuating members. 

1. In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for a circular knitting machine having one pattern drum per knitting system, said pattern drum being actuated in a stepwise manner by cam means mounted on the rotating needle cylinder of the circular knitting machine, the improvement comprising in combination, a plurality of rods removably mounted on said pattern drum, a plurality of actuating members juxtaposed with respect to each other disposed between said pattern drum and said needle cylinder and adopted to be actuated by said rods on said pattern drum to move into an operating position with respect to said needle cylinder, slidable bar means operatively mounted between said pattern drum and said needle cylinder and adapted to engage said plurality of juxtaposed actuating members and to move them out of engagement with said pattern drum and said rods mounted thereon, first cam means mounted on said needle cylinder and adapted to coact with said slidable bar means so as to cause the latter to disengage such actuating members from said pattern drum and said rods, said first cam means on said needle cylinder comprising a first cam which is mounted in front of said cam means for actuating in a stepwise manner the pattern drum with respect to the rotary movement of said needle cylinder, said slide slidable bar means being slidably mounted in a stationary portion of the circular knitting machine, said slidable bar means being radially movable with respect to said needle cylinder in said stationary portion of said circular knitting machine, said slidable bar means being provided with inclined bearing surfaces, and a bar movably mounted in said stationary portion of said circular knitting machine in parallel relationship to said bar means and having parallel inclined bearing surfaces which are adapted to radially move said slidable bar means when said bar is actuated by said first cam means.
 2. In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for a circular knitting machine, the improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first cam means includes a second cam, said second cam being disposed behind said cam means for actuating said pattern drum in a stepwise manner with respect to the rotary movement of said needle cylinder, a pair of pushrods slidably mounted in the stationary portion of said circular knitting machine and adapted to coact with said first and second cams, a two-armed lever pivotally mounted in the stationary portion of said circular knitting machine and operatively connected to said bar, said two-armed lever being adapted to be selectively engaged by said pushrods when the latter are being selectively engaged by said first and second cams, thereby, in turn, engaging and pivoting said two-armed lever and moving said bar with respect to said bar means.
 3. In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for a circular knitting machine, the improvement as set forth in claim 2, wherein each one of said plurality of juxtaposed actuating members includes a lateral projection, and wherein said slidable bar means comprises a surface adapted to engage said lateral projections and thus move said actuating members out of engagement with said pattern drum and said rods mounted thereon.
 4. In a Jacquard-pattern arrangement for a circular knitting machine, the improvement as set forth in claim 3, wherein said plurality of actuating members comprises two rows of juxtaposed actuating members, said bar means and said bar extending between said two rows of actuating members. 